Sinus Problems: Home Remedies and Tips

Do you have sinus problems? Here's how to make your home kinder to your sinuses.

Are you among the 37 million Americans who have sinus problems each year? If so, there's a lot you can do around the house to create a " sinus-friendly" environment -- reducing your risk for sinus pressure.

Even better, many of the measures are simple and inexpensive.

Sinus Problems: Getting to the Triggers

First, it's crucial to figure out why you have sinus problems, says Jordan S. Josephson, MD, a Manhattan ear-nose-throat specialist and author of Sinus Relief Now. " Allergies are a fairly common reason for sinus problems," he says.

Allergies that affect the nose, such as hay fever and indoor allergies, can cause the nasal membranes to swell, and the passages to the sinuses -- hollow spaces within the bones around the nose -- to become blocked. Mucus, which typically drains from the sinuses to the nose, can't drain.

Whatever the trigger, you can pick and choose from these five tips, or adopt all of them.

Sinus Tip 1: Keep Your Cool

"When the heat is on, the membranes get dry," says Russell B. Leftwich, MD, an allergist in Nashville, Tenn. Mucus isn't cleared as effectively, boosting the risk of sinus problems.

He can't recommend a specific indoor temperature range as ideal, but offers this guide: "You are better off wearing a sweater and keeping it cooler than cranking it up so you are comfortable wearing only a T-shirt."

Let your nose guide your indoor temperature range, suggests Lavi. "If you are not waking up with nosebleeds or congestion, that is probably a good temperature range."

Sinus Tip 2: Humidify Your Air

A too-humid indoor environment can also encourage the growth of mold, which can also set off sinus problems, says Todd Kingdom, MD, professor of otolaryngology--head and neck surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Some people are more sensitive to this than others are, he says.